1986 Pontiac Parisienne sedan 4 door 4.3L from North America

Summary:

Great winter car

Faults:

The car is in good running condition. The air conditioning will have to be replaced. Just from lost coolant and lack of use. Hood ornament has been replaced 3 times. Engineering was not for longevity. Do to failing shocks, the springs will need to be replaced.

General Comments:

The car is a land. After a trans oil change and a tune up, the car runs great. Some people confuse the torc coverter function as a bad transmission, it is just a hard shift on the three speed. If you can find one of these buy it. Do not let a kid or a woman drive it. It must be respected.

6th Jan 2007, 21:18

30th Mar 2008, 21:07

I do like this car... But I do not appreciate your comment about respect. I got one of these when I was 16 as my first car at 65,000 miles. I put over 30,000 miles a year on it during high school and early college as I delivered pizza and newspapers. I am now 25 and I have over 340,000 miles on this car and it runs and looks almost like new. I still get comments on having such a nice car, and they are amazed when I tell them how many miles I have on it.

1986 Pontiac Parisienne Brougham 4.3L V6 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Faults:

Starter had to be replaced three times. My theory is that this car likes them and eats them constantly, requiring new ones every 50.000 kms.

An ominous warning light, "Service Engine Soon", comes on erratically, stays for a while, and goes off again. No reason has been found yet, but it has been happening for 10 years now.

The fuel pump has broken down at about 220.000 kms.

The GM cassette deck gobbles tapes.

The little link between the gear lever and the transmission mode indicator has broken after 240.000 kms.

The fuel gouge had to be replaced after 190.000 kms.

General Comments:

Great compromise-car: It manages to look incredibly cool on European roads whilst being utterly economical to own.

The 4.3L V6 has one hell of a time lugging the car's weight around. Better get a 5.0 or 5.7 V8.

Fuel economy is good and can even get great: I average 9L/ 100kms, but have had 8 while driving in Sweden (35 mpg).

Don't do any wild, Alpine driving: Chassis and brakes just can't handle ambitious driving, and the car wallows and lurches in curves, basically feeling inclined to ignore them altogether.

Fantastic long-distance cruiser: The car is a dream on open roads at speeds between 100 and 140 km/h, where it just glides effortlessly and quietly, eating up miles like nothing I've owned before (and I've owned Lincolns, Mercedes, and Cadillacs).

The seats are terribly low-tech, but great just the same. Still look like new.